Witness From Prison Says He Bought Drugs From Monroe Defendant

January 14, 1987|by WEALTHY J. KORTZ, The Morning Call

A former Saylorsburg man, serving time in a federal prison on a firearms charge, yesterday identified a Stroudsburg R.8 man as a drug dealer during a Monroe County non-jury trial before Judge Ronald E. Vican.

James Cherepko, 32, returned to Monroe County from Allenville Federal Prison, identified Horace D. Praetorius, 33, as the person he purchased 1 ounce of methamphetamine from for $900 on June 2, 1986.

Cherepko said he was wearing an electronic recording device furnished by Agent Daniel O. Licklider, state attorney general's office, Bureau of Narcotics, when he made the purchase. He said that Licklider also provided him with $500 in cash to buy the drugs.

He testified that he weighed out 1 ounce of the methamphetamine from a plastic bag that Praetorius had given him when he made the purchase. He said the transaction was made in the Praetorius home in a second-floor office used by the defendant.

Under cross examination by defense counsel Robert Rosenblum, Cherepko said he was convicted of three counts of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine during the April term of court lastyear in Monroe County. He said he had been arrested by Licklider on five counts of possession and intent to deliver.

Following his conviction, Cherepko said, Judge Peter J. O'Brien had sentenced him April 24 to three to six years in a state prison. Following the sentencing, Cherepko had been free on $50,000 bail for one week.

Cherepko testified that during the week, he had agreed to testify as a commonwealth witness against Praetorius in return for a lighter sentence.

Cherepko said his sentence was reconsidered and reduced to one to two years in a state institution and made concurrent with an 18-month sentence he received in the federal conviction on the firearms charge.

Cherepko said he had been told during the arrangement that his wife, who was charged with a firearms violation, would not be sentenced if he cooperated. His wife had been sentenced to four months in jail, and he had been sentenced to 18 months in a federal prison after they pleaded guilty to the charge.

Cherepko said he and Praetorius had been friends for a long time and that it was difficult and painful to testify against him, but he was looking for a lighter sentence. Cherepko said he was a user of methamphetamine and marijuana. He also admitted making at least 100 sales of methampthetamine to satisfy his personal use.

Agents Licklider and Ronald Paret both testified how they worked with Cherepko to make the "controlled buys" of drugs from Praetorius.

Licklider said he had approached Cherepko's attorney about having Cherepko work with them toward Praetorius' arrest in exchange for a lighter sentence. Cherepko was to keep in touch with Praetorius and report back to the agents when Praetorius was "holding and where he was keeping" the drug.

Licklider said Cherepko purchased a quarter pound of methamphetamine from Praetorius for the agents on April 13 and made a second purchase on June 1.

Praetorius and his wife Beverly were arrested during an early morning raid on their residence June 2.

In the current trial, Monroe County Assistant District Attorney Elmer D. Christine Jr. and defense counsel Rosenblum have agreed to a number of stipulations that eliminated the need to call at least three witnesses, and references to testimony entered at a preliminary hearing an an omnibus pre- trial hearing. Certain suppression issues are still pending.

The playing of a tape recording allegedly between Praetorius and Cherepko made June 1 was delayed until tomorrow when the trial reconvenes. The defense gained the court's approval that the original mini-cassette tape and not the copy should be entered into evidence.

Christine entered 14 exhibits into evidence including several plastic bags containing a white substance, several metal ammunition cases where Praetorius is alleged to have kept the drug; the $500 cash used by Cherepko in making the June 1 purchase, a triple beam scale and electronic scale, cutting board and razor blade and box filled with coin collector type plastic bags. The items were seized in the raid at the Prae-torius home last June.